Maven Member Spotlight is a weekly series by Indy Maven highlighting a member of our community. Want to be featured? Join us!
Michelle Kitsis is a board-certified surgeon providing general surgery through Hancock Health. She received her B.S. in neuroscience and biology at Indiana University in Bloomington, followed by her MD at the Indiana School of Medicine. Michelle studied and completed residency in general surgery at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago – Metropolitan Group Hospitals. She received the Excellent Resident Educator award in 2020 from UIC MGH Residency and she is a member of the American College of Surgeons and the Association of Women Surgeons. Michelle also has an Integration of Clinical Excellence and Humanitarianism award recipient. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her daughter and husband, as well as, crossword puzzles, singing, and reading fiction.
My Maven Superpower is…Making people feel heard.
Best book I’ve read lately is…The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick.
Self-care habit I swear by… My nightly skincare routine. It can be quick, but moisturizing makes me feel luxurious and is a reminder I can slow down for myself.
My first job was…Working the takeout counter at Puccinis.
The best career advice I can offer is…To not take things personally (it also happens to be the advice I am always trying to get myself to listen to).
A purchase I’ve been loving lately is…I invested in a treadmill for my home – between work hours and small children at home, I was having a hard time finding time for movement in my day, and this has made a huge impact.
I feel most confident when…I have taken even just a few moments in the morning to intentionally style my hair or put on some lip gloss. Taking those moments for myself helps me bring my full self to most situations.
My favorite local restaurant dish is…Massaman curry from Jasmine Thai on the north side of Indianapolis.
The thing I’ve been binging lately is…Pretty much any show on Bravo.
A fun fact about me is…I was born in Indianapolis, but my first language was Russian as it is what we spoke at home. Until Kindergarten, I thought Russian was a special language just for family and friends.
The skill I most want to learn is…Embroidery. I would love to be able to personalize clothing or accessories!
A Maven you should know is…Amelie Medley
My favorite nonprofit to support is…Gleaners Food Bank
What have you achieved recently that you’d like to celebrate with our community?…I recently performed my 100th robotic surgery at Hancock Regional Hospital! The surgical robot is a tool for minimally invasive surgery, and I truly feel it allows me the best visualization and tools to provide the most quality care to my patients.
What’s next for you? What can we expect to see over the next few years?…I hope to continue to grow my surgical practice to the east of Indianapolis and identify community needs to provide well rounded general surgery care through all phases of surgery and recovery.
I feel most myself when…I feel most myself when I am singing loudly and whole heartedly to music I love – recently that has meant loudly singing along with Kesha.
My “must-have” product is…I swear by my Supergoop! Glowscreen – no matter how many times I had to wake up with my baby, or how long of a day I have had at work, I put it on and feel instantly glowing and ready to take on the next thing.
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